Death to Belladonna's Enemies

AN ARCHANGEL IN BONDAGE

(Chapter III)

A full shock, an unpredictable tremor shock Harry's sixteen-year-old body. Somehow, at that very moment, he would prefer facing Lord Voldemort vis-a-vis more then having Snape come over to him at the Dursleys' - and see how they bully him (or alternatively, Dursleys see how Snape bullies him). They might as well fix a get-together meeting on which they will try and come up with new ways to torture Harry, while exchanging already approved methods. So the worst turn-out would be, instead of hating each other, Dursleys and Snape would find a common ground for antagonizing Harry, bridging their blood difference.

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The journey over Europe to Nary'an Mar took too long. Main reason for that was that three of the companions there were wanted all over the Europe, and the fourth one could not afford to be seen relaxed in such company.

Using the Floo Network was not only 'enormous fuckwittage' as Lucius referred to it, because it is uncomfortable and dirty, but was also being watched. Plus, there was no direct chimney-line from London to anywhere in Russia, so the utilization of it would have been slowed down. Possibly, there would not be enough connected fireplaces throughout the Europe in which wanted Dark Wizards could freely sport around. Last problem was that more you go to the East, Floo Powder establishments are rarer.

Apparation was out of question. None of them were perfected enough in Apparating long distances or Over-Water, so they could make mistakes and lose each other on the way. Bellatrix definitely put end of discussing this one.

Antonin's suggestion to use Muggle transportation was throughly dismissed even before he could fully argue in favour for it. His great-grandmother was a Muggle-born and raised his grandmother, who raised his mother, under Muggle customs, which were later all taught to Antonin. He was very well informed and learnt in Muggle inventions.

Lucretia was vouching that they travel by brooms, but no one was too keen on flying to that place, because it was so far north and it would be freezing. Finally, the decision was brought that they reach up until it becomes too cold to carry on flying on brooms.

It was the middle of summer, but still, Lucretia found a reason to complain when they flew over Denmark how the cold air blowing in her face will strip her off her shimmery Snow White complexion (none of the other passengers missed a chance to harp back at her because flying was her suggestion). When they finally could not fly anymore, due to the amount of cold, Antonin stole four horses off a local farm. He got three black ones and one white.

"For our newly benighted Princess," he said helping Lucretia mount the white Lipizzan, with its black mane.

Bellatrix gave him a dirty look from where she sat on a prized, agile Arabian, already thinking of a name for it. Kali sounded very nice indeed.

"You want to elaborate, Lestrange?" Antonin sneered when he registered her grimace, getting onto his horse. When they all set off, he finally rode shoulder to shoulder with Bellatrix.

"Lucretia is all alone now..."

"Give up on her. She is mad. She won't look at another man for the rest of her life," Bellatrix was saying, her eyes locked on Lucius and Lucretia who rode in front of them.

"Well, eventually, she will need it. Ever woman needs to get laid, Bella."

"How do you know, are you a woman?" Bellatrix laughed, now looking around the dense woods through which they were passing. Antonin, who was generally a nature lover, could not name half of the trees; so many new coniferous species were located here.

In front, Lucius and Lucretia were discussing something else.

"Nary'an Mar... that place rings a bell, doesn't it?" Lucius was saying casually.

"Igor Karkaroff is from there," Lucretia answered simply, pulling her cloak tightly around her neck, to block the austere wind from coming in contact with her body.

If Lucius was walking, her would have abruptly stopped. However, he just flinched, turning to Lucretia.

"That burly traitor? Yes, how could have I forgotten about it.

"Anyway, how do you know about it?"

"Dolohov told me," she simply said.

"Dolohov seems too athirst tell you things... He also seems athirst for you," he said, small sneer dancing over his thin colourless lips.

"Dolohov can imbibe other, be it less or more prized nectar, as long as it concerns me. Never mind him now, are we going the right way?"

Lucius took out a compass, in a silver shell, out of his robe pocket.

"We're going too north."

They rode until night was dark, and since moon did not appear, they camped in a small valley, which was shrouded from the wind with crag-jagged mountains.

Lucius kept quiet about the boorish condition of their discourteous stay, while Bellatrix found it fit to voice all of her complaints. Lucretia, audire alteram partem, seemed to quiet down as they were approaching journey's end.

Bellatrix had problem with everything - the fire was not too bright nor hot; sleeping on the ground was not what she was used to, because of all the bugs that crawled around; food was not proper, either.

"You know, for someone who spend so long in Azkaban, you're too bold to complain," Lucius finally snarled at her.

When Bellatrix opened her mouth to speak back, he snarled, "And you did go there on your own accord, Bella. You did not want to accept any help from Narcissa, she could've helped you get away from some of the accusations, so don't complain!"

Antonin chuckled lightly, laying on the ground with his arms crossed, gazing at the stars, while Bella shot him a nasty glare.

"We should sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," said Lucretia's hasted voice. She was few trees away, attending the horses.

Before they got to sleep, Antonin dimmed the fire, but made it produce more heat, with his wand. Then he offered Lucretia to sleep beside him and share his body warmth, same thing he offered to Bellatrix after Lucretia declined the offer. Bellatrix declined, too.

Nobody got much sleep that night, especially Lucretia who barely decided that she should close her eyes, before Lucius was nagging her to get up and fix him some breakfast.

Next few days of the travel passed in the similar fashion. They were not seen by any Muggles or wizards, but they had to restrain Bellatrix from going down to a Muggle village, because she had urge to kill all the inhabitants. Her strongest argument of going down there was that she has not killed anyone in ages, and when Antonin went over to her side, very eager to kill someone, too, Lucius threatened to hex them both. He said how they did not come with him to play, but they were on a mission. At the end, Bellatrix and Antonin entertained themselves by by killing the birds that soared over them. Lucretia was too shocked to even complain - she loved birds.

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When they arrived to Nary'an Mar, the three wanted Death Eaters disguised themselves with the Invisibility cloaks they had. Unfortunately, they had only two of those in their possession. After his offer to sleep beside Bellatrix, she did not trust Antonin, so she snatched one cloak just for herself. Lucius was left to bicker with Antonin under the other cloak. He was mad because under it, he had to walk too close to Antonin, and therefore body contact was required.

Lucretia walked first, stripped of her cloak which could arouse suspicion because they had to move through Muggle populated areas. Since the town was small, there was no strictly wizarding district, but rather random magical institutions scattered around. The particular tavern was located in between two low-rise buildings. It was dark and damp inside. Lucretia stood out too much in her black coat that was so expensive that it would even make Filch look handsome in it.

She moved black strains of hair out of her pallid face, facing a toothless, thin-mouthed man, with very heavy Mongolian folds over his murky eyes.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, he mumbled something she could not understand.

"Excuse me," she said in her posh accent. Then she realized that the man was holding his wand pointed at her over the bar. Her wand was in the pocket, but she was sure that whatever the man tried to do he would be stopped by invisible Lucius, Antonin, and Bellatrix. The rest of the tavern guests and inhabitants did not notice anything special happening.

The man pierced with his narrow stare before answering: "So you not from here, ah?"

Lucius, under the coat, feeling uncomfortable due to so much body contact with Dolohov that he could feel his body warmth, wanted to reply to the man 'Really, and where did you get such a clever idea?', but kept quiet.

"No," Lucretia said, tactfully.

Man stared at her for another moment. Then he said: "Have you any I.D. with you?"

She nodded and pulled out a card, arboured in thin golden thread around the border. It bore her picture on it, but the name and the information was false.

"Dawn Valeria Bradford... a vampire hunter... Dobro pozhalovatya, Dawn," said the man, taking his wand off Lucretia, "What brings you here, Ms Bradford?"

"I work for the British Ministry of Magic and recently one of the vampires that has vexed our population has escaped. Our informants tracked her down here," Lucretia said in what she hoped was convincing tone. She hated having to lie, not only because of some cracked up morals, but because she was simply bad at it.

"What is his name?"

"It's her. Her name is Sybil Trelawney."

"No know nothing," he said, beginning to become rather bored with the conversation.

"Could a picture freshen up your memory?" she tried in vain knowing where this conversation will end up to. Nevertheless, she pulled a photograph.

"No.... but..."

"Then would this help you remember?" Lucretia said, pulling a large bag of Galleons. She might be a poor liar, but she lacked no skills when it came to bribing.

"Your currency is no good here, devochka," he said, suggesting that there are other things that he might want.

"How about this?" she said pulling a diamond necklace, holding it in front of the man.

"How about necklace and you?" he said, snatching the dangling end of the shining piece of jewelry, his eyes seriously studying her now.

"I'm sure if I threw this in (she pulled a small vial out of her coat), you'll be able to have any other woman you want."

The man surveyed the vial from the distance, knowing exactly what it is. It was something like date rape drug; it made the drinker very eager to have sex with the person who gave it to them.

"What lovely devochka is doing with such illegal substance. Surely, you wouldn't have problems getting it?"

He made a rude gesture and noise.

Lucretia gave a canaille of hollow laugh, not unlike one of Bellatrix.

Antonin hissed loudly into Lucius' ear, berating himself for not knowing what Lucretia carried on herself. If only he could have taken it, he could have made both Bellatrix and Lucretia pleasure him in many ways he just adored.

"Either you take it or leave it. You know, this substance is very hard to come upon," Lucretia was saying unbuttoning her coat.

"Number 7. Take stairs, third room on right," said the man. He made a movement as if he was to grab the items from Lucretia, but she withdrew them quickly.

"You can have the necklace now. The vial, after I made sure you were telling the truth," she said in a very cold tone, turning around and starting up the stairs. As she climbed, she heard stairs crack behind her, and knew she was closely followed by the others.

She stopped before an old door, with dirty doorknob. That is when the rest removed their Invisibility Cloaks.

"Dolohov, go in first. We'll be behind you," Lucius ordered, removing his wand out of his beloved cane with a swishing noise and pocketing the rest of the cane safely.

Dolohov unlocked the door with a simple wand movement and kicked it open. The room was furnished with old fashioned and bare furniture. Sybil Trelawney knelt in the middle of it, seen in the light of dimmed candles, deep in trance. Stone runes were scattered around her.

Lucretia, who entered last, closed the door behind her and locked it with a spell that few wizards used.

No one could deny that they were startled at the sight of Trelawney; Bellatrix was first to react. She approached the woman kneeling on the floor, and kicked her buttock with her heavy duty boot. Sybil snapped out of her state instantly, letting out a shrill scream.

Lucius quickly disarmed Sybil, her wand flying in front of him. He stepped on it, and with no trace of emotions on his face, just a nasty grimace, he broke it in two. Sybil screamed again, but Bellatrix did not hesitate to kick her for the second time. Bellatrix found herself standing over a woman, who lay on the floor, crouching. The scene caused her to laugh. Dolohov joined in with her. Lucretia, on the other hand, who was not accustomed to first-hand cruelty to that degree, watched them closely, her wand ready.

"Are you Sybil Trelawney?" Lucius spoke. He knew that it was her, but he never abandoned unnecessary bureaucratic formalities.

"Yes," she said. Her voice trembled with fright.

"And you are the one that made the Prophecy about the Dark Lord and Harry Potter?" Lucius asked again, slowly moving towards her. Bellatrix still stood over Sybil. Dolohov sported himself in examining the cheap drawing of babushkas hung on the wall, letting himself be brought back to his childhood. Lucretia dared not come out of her hiding nook. At first she thought she will be sick with all the unnecessary ravaging tension, yet found herself enjoying it in some warped way.

"Yes," Sybil said, anger now starting to show in her wrinkles. Bellatrix kicked her again, just for fun of it, and laughed.

"Stop it," Lucius ordered. She obeyed, moving backwards.

"Then you can tell us what it was," he said, unable to suppress eagerness on his white face.

"I don't remember it," Sybil weeped from the floor.

"Well, well, well, lying to the servants of the Dark Lord," sneered Dolohov unexpectedly, taking the picture he was examining off the wall and pocketed it.

"Now, now, Dolohov, there is not need for brutality. Lady simply doesn't remember it. Hence, we need to refresh her memory. I daresay, our beloved Lucretia ought to do it. She was so good with refreshing the memory of that filthy bastard down there," Lucius was saying in a manner they saw him adopt only when he was about to do something very nasty.

"I should bribe?" said Lucretia stupidly, even though she knew what was in store for her.

"No, you idiot!" snarled Bellatrix, knowing a treat was taken away from her. She so longed to perform Crucio on someone.

"Bellatrix, shush," said Lucius in most kind manner. "Lucretia, my dear, what I meant is that you use your wand to persuade her to tell us the Prophecy."

"I should hit her with a wand?" Lucretia said. It was plain by now that she was making a fool out of them purposefully.

"No, you bitch, you ought to do this with your wand - CRUC-!"

"Expelliarmus," Lucius snarled throwing Bellatrix off her feet. He was tense by now, vexed by the fact that Lucretia is not communicating.

"Lucretia... my darling... the spell Bella just wanted to use on you, are you aware what spell it is?" Lucius turned to Lucretia, trying hard not to snarl at her. His voice dithering, he grasped his wand hard in his hand, still pointing it at Bella, who was sulking on the floor now, nursing her elbows.

"Yes. Crucio."

"Very good. Now, are you able to perform that spell?"

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you performing it?"

Lucretia said nothing.

"Trent, when I vouched for you, I was under full impression that you are ready to do this. Now you either go up to the old piece of shit lying on the floor, moaning, and make her suffer, or I won't be that quick to block Bella next time," he hissed, his rage in tepid crescendo.

Antonin watched as Lucretia approached Sybil, and over the wretched sobs pronounced the incantation of the Unforgivable curse.

After what it seemed seconds to Lucius, but hours for Sybil and Lucretia, Lucius ordered for the curse to be lifted up.

"That wasn't hard, now, was it?" he asked, in a gentle tone, patting Lucius on her head.

"Do you remember now?"

"No," she sobbed again.

Lucretia was forced to perform the curse few more times. Instead of falling further into the conscious vertigo this situation caused for her at the beginning, she admitted to herself that the anguished screaming of the person she brought pain to was kind of soothing. Just as she was starting to like it, Bellatrix fought for herself. Lucretia was shunned in the corner, while Bellatrix used variety of different, very interesting torturing curses, that Lucretia knew too well of. Sybil was tortured, and every time Bellatrix, unwillingly, was to take the curse off in intervals, Lucius interrogated. They had to be very careful not to overdo it, because, as Lucius kept reminding Bellatrix, what has happened to the Longbottoms. If they kept torturing Trelawney, depending of the strength of her persona, she would eventually go crazy - like Neville's parents have.

Finally, under pressure, Trelawney cracked.

"I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROPHECY IS!" she screamed so loudly that the sound topped her previous screaming.

Dolohov rushed and made the room soundproof. Lucius wanted to point out that he should have done that before Crucio was used on Trelawney. Instead, he mildly asked: "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know the Prophecy..."

"But surely, you're the one who made it..."

"I don't know it. I don't remember it. I made it, and I was told I was made it... but when it comes to you, you're not aware of it. It's as though you've woken up from a sleep..."

"She's lying, let's beat her!" Bellatrix said, kicking the woman again.

"She might not be lying," Lucretia said.

"How would you know?" Lucius asked her.

"Check it. What else have you been taught Occlumency for?"

Lucius took a heap of humiliation and allowed himself to kneel down. He raised Sybil so her eyes were at the level of his. With a simple spell he forced her to keep her eyes open and to stare into his eyes, the pools of swirling mercury.

"She's a poor Occlumenist, you'll have no problem," Lucretia said again, trying to be helpful.

"If you're so smart, why don't you do it?" Bellatrix sneered.

"My skill goes as far as determining other people's skill," she replied.

After few moments, where only sound heard was Antonin now going over Sybil's trunk, Lucius kept his gaze locked with Trelawney's. He knew this, he was good at this.

"Lucretia's right; this miserable wretch is not aware of what she has Prophesied," Lucius spat resentfully getting up.

"Kill her," he ordered to Lucretia. He was in such a foul mood now that Lucretia dared not disobey.

"Avada Kedavra," she said, concentrating hard. Sybil Trelawney was dead now. Bella got her fun by transfiguring her dead body into a skull.

"Let's get out of here, this place makes me sick," Lucius snarled breaking Lucretia's locking spell, and exiting. They got out of the tavern, after Lucretia handed the potion to the man behind the bar, rest not caring to cover themselves up. Bella threw the skull into a garbage bin.

"I need a drink," Lucius said when they were out, exposed to the harsh Russian winter in the middle of the summer. It was even colder now

"What if you're seen?" Lucretia sighed, walking as nigh as possible.

"I'll blow up anyone I see that I know," Lucius said, dragging his feet through the snow. He pushed his hair closer to his ears that are already freezing dangerously. He was raving stark mad. What now? How is he going to explain this to the Dark Lord that his plan to learn the Prophecy was unsuccessful. It's not as though he has not displeased the Dark Lord before.

"I'll find a place - it would be safer if we go to a Muggle place," Dolohov said, walking in front.

Lucius said nothing, just pushed his way around snow covered street. Faint Muggle street lamps illuminated light over the shimmering dunes of fresh snow.

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It took them around ten minutes to find a place Dolohov referred as 'suitable' (and at the end everyone else questioned if Dolohov's knowledge of English went as far as knowing the definition of 'suitable'). By that time all of them were freezing, their faces too numb to talk. It seemed as a stampede as they tried to to get inside a small place that smelled of something foul.

Play was small, square, and the entrance was at the corner. Pitifully disgusting white and orange tiles covered the floor and table clothes were checkered in same two colours.

Muggles inside registered their entrance briefly and went back to their business. Bellatrix, who was first to force her way inside, made her way to a wooden table in the far corner. Lucius, who got in second, followed her. Lucretia was the last one to take a seat. She did not wait to properly draw a breath nor to enjoy alcohol-influenced heat, but lit a cigarette.

Dolohov, on the other hand, went to get them drinks.

"Generic vodka? Who the fuck do you think I am?" Lucius snarled, snatching the bottle and a small shot glass, pouring himself some and drinking it all in a single shot, nevertheless.

"And what did Him Majesty want?" Dolohov sneered, sitting down savagely.

"Brandy or scotch, you know, something civilized," snarled Bellatrix so suddenly that people at the nearby table almost chocked onto their drinks.

"So how are the accommodations working out for you, princess?" asked Antonin after few minutes of him and Bellatrix glaring at each other.

Lucretia, who was considering of asking Antonin of going and getting her another pack, because she was already pretty much out of cigarettes, averted her eyes to her right, too disgusted to look at Anton, to look at the other people in the bar. She noticed someone sitting on the opposite side. Even though the person had his back turned to her she could recognize that silver hair.

"Karkaroff - he's here," she said suddenly, perching her head up, looking like a vulture ready to strike.

The other three occupants of her table turned to where she was looking in a matter of a millisecond.

"That bastard," snarled Bellatrix. Raising scream was noticeable in her shrill voice. That is the main reason while Lucius grabbed her around her mouth next.

"Shut up," he hissed, jerking his head to have a better look at the man.

"I'll deal with this," said Lucius after he let go of Bellatrix. Their eyes followed him as they made his way across the room.

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"Scotch whiskey - the finest brew," Rodolphus was saying. The octagonal glass was in front of him, as he checked the imperial colour of the liquid against the bright light.

Rodolphus was sitting in Lucius' study, his legs on the table. He did not really have much to do since Narcissa ignored him at best. Also, he was not really to march around the house in the case of the visitors that might see him. He did not even have Draco for company, who went over to spend few weeks over at Goyle's house.

Rodolphus commenced imbibing the first-class liqueur, when Narcissa entered Lucius' study.

"What are you doing here?" she snarled.

Rodolphus winced, spilling the priceless liquid all over him.

"That's Lucius' clothes!" Narcissa snarled again, heading towards Rodolphus.

He was indeed wearing Lucius' black velvet robes, with 24 karat gold clamps running down the front, and ornately decorated hems.

"I was just wearing it so it doesn't go to waste," he said defensively, after Narcissa took the glass away form him and with a thud put in on the desk. She was taking the robes off him now.

"What are you talking about? You just got it covered all in - oh my god, you better pray Lucius never notices that you touched his alcohol cabinet," Narcissa was spitting now, positive with rage, and ushering her brother-in-law outside.

Once outside, Rodolphus noticed Vanessa exiting a nearby chamber, with duster ready, so he went after her, sans Lucius' robes.

Narcissa was outraged by what Rodolphus did. She cleaned the glass of scotch and returned the bottle back into the cabinet. She also cleaned the robes with a single movement of her wand. Finally, she could do what she came for.

"Adaperio" said Narcissa, knowing that Lucius would not bother with spells as trivial as Alohomora to protect his possession.

She stared down into the particular drawer at the bottom she so eagerly wanted to know contest of.

"Cane polish? Hell with it, you use this spell to seal a drawer where you keep your stupid cane polish?"

She closed the drawer with a snap and went off to change her outfit.

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Tenth of August was a very ominous day for Harry Potter, indeed. He could not remember if he was as nervous as this the moment when he found out he will be going against the Horntail at the Triwizard Tournament. But then again, Horntail's lethal spikes are nothing in compare with Snape's mane of greasy black hair.

Somehow, Harry neglected the duty to inform his guardians that a wizard is coming over to their house. That is why at four o'clock, when he was sitting on the top stair, neurasthenically playing with his shoe laces, when a doorbell was heard Harry knew that Snape has arrived. He ran down the stairs, but Uncle Vernon was faster to reach the door, pushing Harry aside.

Uncle Vernon opened the door. Snape stood at the threshold, his black hair looked even shinier than usual because of all the sweat. He wore something that looked like a shirt you could pick up at the second hand store. It was black, but it seemed so old that it was greying. Harry could not help himself but be reminded of Snape's greying underwear. Nevertheless, it said Black Sabbath on the front and Harry wondered if Snape knew who they were and that they were one of the groups he fancied much.

This was even more shocking - Snape did follow Dumbledore's advice indeed. He wore a black shorts that came down to his knees. Instead of sporty trainers or even sandals, on his feet, her wore a pair of knee-high Doc Martin's. Harry could not believe what he was seeing - it was even more intriguing then Snape-wears-Neville's-Grandma's-clothes spectacle.

"I'm looking for Potter?" Snape asked in a twitchy voice. At first, he did not see Harry who was utterly concealed behind Vernon's large body, and was peering over Vernon's shoulder.

"There is no such a boy living at this address!" snarled Uncle Vernon, looking like a bull ready to charge.

"I'm here, Professor," said Harry in not very enthusiastic tone, jumping behind Uncle Vernon. Snape noticed him, and when next second Vernon closed the door in Snape's face, Harry heard an urgent hiss from the other side, and the door opened so violently that Uncle Vernon jumped backwards, into the opposite wall, knocking the air out of Harry.

When Harry retrieved from the sudden strangling sensation, for which Snape could not care less if he tried, Snape said: "Where is your room, Potter?"

"Upstairs," Harry replied and lead the way up. Snape closed the entrance door behind him and allowed himself to be lead.

Harry heard distant murmur from downstairs of Uncle Vernon saying to himself how that man was fit better at the rock concert not at a respectable household of the Dursleys.